Franklin w



(No Model.)

I. W. BROOKS.

SEAL. 7 No. 521,632. Patented June 19,1894;

1n: mmorul. umomumma cow-Arm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN W. BROOKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,632, dated June 19, 1894.

Appliationfiled March 20,1894.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN W. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baggage or Oar Seals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in baggage or car seals.

It has for its object to provide a seal in which a sheet metal receptacle is provided for the reception of a lead disk or plug, and in which the bail or wire is independent from the metal plug and is secured in place by the compression of the latter in such manner that it shall furnish a guard against the introduction of any instrument by means of which a seat might be formed for receiving the end of a severed wire. And with these ends in view my invention consists of a seal composed of a cup-shaped tin receiver, having converging walls and provided with a single hole piercing the wall thereof, a button shaped lead filler or plug, and an independent bail wire adapted to be threaded through the hole in the wall of the cup, and having an anchor made by bending the end to ashape adapted 7 to lie within the wall of the cup each side of the threading hole, and a lead button of substantially the form shown, which shall be adapted to receive the free end of the wire bail and to securely interlock with and conceal both ends of the wire, as will be hereinafter and in detail explained.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains may know how to 'make and use the same I will proceed to describe its construction and the manner of using the same referring by letters to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the sheet metal cup and bail wire, with the anchor end of the latter drawn out to expose its shape or construction. Fig. 2 is a similar View partly in section, showing the anchor end of the bail wire in place, and with the lead button properly located to be subsequently compressed.

Serial No. 504,366- (No model.)

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of the arrangement shown at Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view, showing the soft metal or lead button duly compressed after the free end of the bail wire has been duly wound or twisted about the stem or shank of the button. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the rear or sheet metal disk surface of the complete seal, and showing the impressions intended to indicate the name of the railroad; and Fig. 6 is a plan view, of the opposite side showing the lead surface impressed with any suitable characters to indicate the geographical station at which the seal was attached.

. Similar letters indicate like parts in the sev: eral figures.

A indicates the sheet metal cup which as shown is provided with a converging side wall.

B is a soft metal plug or button formed with a comparatively straight edge, and with a shank'O and cap D.

E is the bail wire, one end of which is so bent (see particularly Figs. 1 and 2) as to form an anchor. F adapted to lie under and within the converging wall of the sheet metal cup A, and to serve as a bar each side of the threading hole in the wall, and through which the free end of the bail is threaded in order that it shall serve as an obstruction to the introduction of an awl or othersimilar instrument for forming a hole to receive the wire should the same be out and an attempt made to fraudulently locate the same in position to indicate proper and honest attachment of the seal.

The lead button B is of the construction illustrated, and is such that it may be temporarily placed in position, as shown at Figs. 2 and 3, by simply pressing the same within the edge of the converging wall of the cup A, after the wire E has been properly threaded, and the anchor F located in its designed position, leaving one end of the wire free. The free end of the wire may be then passed through the staple of the car, or through any convenient place in baggage, and then wound or twisted around the shank O of the soft metal button B, and when the latter is subjected to compression between dies in an ordinary hand press, the cap D and shank O are duly crushed and flattened to conceal and lock the twisted end of the wire, and at the same time the body portion A of the soft metal is forced outwardly and under the con- 5 verging wall of the sheet metal cup A and securely and permanently holds or looks the anchor end F of the bail wire in place, as most clearly shown at Fig. 4.

It will be understood that the anchor on the one end of the bail wire may be made by bending the same to one side only, or this end of the wire may be enlarged in any other manner to form an anchor, but I prefer to re turn the same as shown at Fig. 1 so that there shall be a lateral extension on both sides; and it will also be understood that the sheet metal cup and bail wire herein described maybe used with a soft metal plug of a construction different from that shown and described, though I prefer to use the one described.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A baggage or car seal embodying in its organization a sheet metal cup with a converging wall, pierced at one point as described, a compressible soft metal plug B adapted to receive the free end of the wire E, and to be compressed within the cup A, and a bail wire provided at one end with an anchor F, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony WhereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN W. BROOKS. \Vitnesses:

WM. 11. BATES, N. CURTIS LAMMOND. 

